Dave Benett/Getty Images
As the nieces of a king intent on modernizing the monarchy, and daughters of a prince mired in scandal, Beatrice and Eugenie hold a curious place in the royal family. They also currently have what seems to be an interesting relationship with their uncle, King Charles III.
Born into the royal circle as the Queen’s granddaughters from her supposed favorite son, Prince Andrew, Beatrice and Eugenie are not working royals. But by design, neither is their life normal. Often parodied as privileged holidaymakers who play at being young working women, they have typically been seen by the British public as adrift from reality. It is perhaps no surprise, then, that their relationship with Charles appears a little strained.
As Charles changes the face and fabric of the monarchy in the U.K., it seems his relationships with the princesses have become casualties of his vision for the future. In light of their complicated family dynamic, and a country growing less enchanted by the institution of monarchy, Beatrice and Eugenie are in somewhat of a precarious position under Charles’ rule.
Charles pulled the plug on the princesses’ police protection
Dave Benett/Getty Images
A thorny patch arose in 2011 when King Charles reportedly intervened to end Beatrice and Eugenie’s taxpayer-funded police protection. Amid public outrage over the £50 million annual cost of protecting minor royals, Beatrice and Eugenie’s 24-hour security became a focal point. According to a Channel 5 documentary, “Beatrice & Eugenie: Pampered Princesses” Beatrice had 24-hour protection while traveling during her gap year. It’s no surprise, then, that even the former head of royal protection himself, Dai Davies, told the Times, “The level of expenditure and police resources spent on protecting minor royals is simply unacceptable.”
Prince Andrew stepped in, even though keeping a low profile might have been wiser. Charles had been growing tired of Andrew’s behavior. The former Duke was facing scrutiny over his controversial ties to the Middle East and early revelations about his close connection to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and he had accepted a gift of a gold necklace (valued at over $22,000) for Beatrice from a convicted Libyan gun smuggler. Andrew argued with Charles that his daughters’ Royal Highness status set them apart from other minor royals. But this argument was tenuous, for Zara Tindall – their cousin who holds no title – was more prominent at the time, as an award-winning equestrian athlete. Thanks to Charles, who wanted to trim down the monarchy, the princesses ultimately lost not only their security, but also their royal stipend and free accommodation.
Charles didn’t get along with Beatrice and Eugenie’s mother
Georges De Keerle/Getty Images
In 2011, Vanity Fair wrote that King Charles was contemplating the monarchy he would eventually inherit. Apparently, he wanted “a thriftier, pared-down monarchy, which is not so open to criticism.” This was bad news for Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. Prince Andrew wasn’t the only one damaging their standing in the Firm; there was also their mother – Sarah Ferguson. She had separated from Andrew in 1992 and had a few months later become infamous for her nauseating toe-sucking scandal after leaked photos showed her on holiday with her financial adviser, John Bryan.
Then, around the time of Beatrice and Eugenie’s “Policegate,” Ferguson was back in the tabloids for all the wrong reasons. An undercover reporter for the since defunct News of the World had caught the redhead red-handed offering access to Andrew for £500,000, and her threat of bankruptcy was looming (via BBC). She, too, had accepted favors from Jeffery Epstein – in her case, to the tune of £15,000 so she could pay off her debts. There is no doubt that the Duchess of York’s behavior undermined Beatrice and Eugenie’s case for retaining royal privileges.
Since then, Ferguson was notably absent from King Charles’ coronation. Attempting some PR damage control on “Good Morning Britain,” the disgraced duchess said: “It’s a state occasion, and being divorced, I don’t think you can have it both ways.” She tried to spin it, but the public widely recognized it as a colossal snub.
Charles resisted the push for Beatrice and Eugenie’s royal roles
Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie found themselves at the heart of a fierce family dispute in 2016 when tensions flared between Prince Andrew and King Charles, reportedly sparked by Andrew’s push for his daughters to take on more prominent roles within the royal family. According to the Telegraph, Andrew demanded the York sisters be given state-funded royal roles and new accommodation at Kensington. But, as a source told the Express, Charles was “already conscious that he divides opinion more than his mother. The last thing he wants is additional criticism by keeping peripheral royals on the public payroll.”
Andrew erupted publicly and confronted the press himself. Posting to his personal (and now deleted) account on X, formerly known as Twitter, he said: “There is no truth to the story that there could be a split between The Prince of Wales and [I] over my daughters’ participation as Members of the Royal Family and any continued speculation is pointless” (via I News). It was a rogue move from a senior royal; it confused even royal experts. BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt wrote at the time that some at the palace would be questioning Andrew’s bold statement as Charles was reportedly considering taking royals off the payroll.
Prince Andrew’s fall from grace affected Charles’ view of Beatrice and Eugenie
Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie’s relationship with King Charles would never fully recover after Andrew’s Jeffrey Epstein connection. Upon becoming king, Charles ordered Andrew and the princesses to move out of the Royal Lodge – a Crown-funded, 30-acre residence they had called home from 2004. The disgraced duke dug his heels in, though, and refused to leave, with a source telling the Times he is “taking longer than desirable to recognize the reality of the situation, even though [relocating] is clearly the most sensible course of action.” The Evening Standard revealed the King was losing patience as the family outstayed their welcome at the property, despite Charles’ offer of Frogmore Cottage, where Harry and Meghan used to live before leaving for the States.
Andrew’s resistance reportedly stemmed from wishful thinking. As royal commentator Gareth Russell told GB News, “Had everything gone the way Prince Andrew had hoped, there would have been possibly two inheritance homes for his daughters. But it’s incredibly unlikely that that will be the fate for Royal Lodge.” He added, “Maybe Mayfair is the alternative inheritance home given that Royal Lodge might not be Andrew’s for the remainder of his life, much less something he’s in any position to bequeath to his daughters.”
Beatrice and Eugenie attempted to fix the rift between Charles and Andrew
Max Mumby & Max Mumby/indigo/Getty
By 2024, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie had reportedly grown increasingly frustrated with King Charles for not granting them more time in the royal limelight. A friend of the princesses told the Daily Beast, “They are very upset to have been ignored by the king as they feel they have a lot to offer.” Later that year, however, following Kate Middleton’s cancer diagnosis, the princesses seized an opportunity to take more of a prominent role. Beatrice and Eugenie were spotted at a Buckingham Palace garden party in May 2024, and as HELLO! divulged that the two were brought in to assist during a stressful time for both William, Prince of Wales, and his wife. It is worth noting, though: they were never given official duties.
Beatrice and Eugenie also made a direct appeal to Charles, hoping to improve their father’s soiled reputation. According to a source for In Touch, they had spoken to their uncle, “asking him to forgive Andrew and for the two brothers to mend fences. But it remains to be seen if their requests have been heard.”
